In its policy plans, the municipality of Houten dreams of being the quietest, cleanest, greenest and most climate-friendly municipality of Holland by 2040. From this dream, the assignment came to realize the thrift store as a sustainable building. A hard precondition was a limited budget. Arcadis has proposed a concept that is partly based on reuse and recycling. In addition to the design and engineering, Arcadis also took care of the realization of the building. By realizing the thrift store within budget, the ambition of ARCADIS and the municipality of Houten to prove that sustainability does not have to be expensive.

Arcadis has suggested using recycled material in the thrift store. The building has thus become a showcase for the reuse of building materials. The concrete panels in the façade were obsolete after the removal of a temporary school in Houten. The wooden façade is constructed with scrap wood via a system that allows for irregular wood dimensions. The floors are made of concrete, which offers space for a floor heating and cooling system. The existing substrate has been treated with Roadcem and is part of the floor construction.

The design of ARCADIS includes a sustainable, energy efficient and CO2 neutral building. Good insulation, optimization and controllability of installations according to user needs and the use of natural light ensure this. With a floor heat exchanger, the building can be kept at a pleasant temperature in winter and summer with a minimum energy load. There are solar cells on the roof. Solatubes are installed on the roof to let in daylight. They maximize daylight entry and limit window areas. This has a favorable effect on the insulation and limits the heat load of incident sunlight

The municipality of Houten invests in a broad sense in environmental and social benefits. Goods sold in the store are not incinerated and the production of new material is postponed. The products are also available at a low price. People who find it difficult to find work in the regular labor market can gain work experience here and have contributed to the application and recycling of materials during construction.